Uhuru lauds Stars for Afcon qualification, promises support

Harambee Stars players celebrate after beating Ethiopia in a qualifier at the Kasarani Stadium last month. Photo/RODGERS NDEGWA

President Uhuru Kenyatta has congratulated the national football team, Harambee Stars, on qualifying for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations whose venue is likely to be announced this week.

The President said the qualification of the national team for the continental tournament, for the first time in 15 years, is an exciting achievement for Kenya’s football and assured the team of his maximum support.

“The success of our national football team is a game changer in our sports. We are proud of what our young people are doing to improve standards of game in the country,” said President Kenyatta.

The confirmation that Stars had qualified for the continental event was announced after Friday’s extraordinary meeting of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Executive Committee in Accra, Ghana to determine the fate of Sierra Leone.

Sierra Leone, who were in Group F of the qualifiers alongside Kenya, Ghana and Ethiopia has not been able to play their last three matches due to a FIFA ban on their Football Association.

With just one round of group matches to go, CAF has decided to scrap all past results involving the West African nation leaving the group with only three teams.

Sierra Leone had only played two matches in the campaign and since they had accomplished less than half of the total qualification matches, CAF decided to nullify all the past results involving the country in accordance with the qualifying rules.